Stunning silence
by LilAlyCat
Summary: Tony was rendered mute in Afghanistan. Years later, the avengers are captured and Tony's translator is broken. Pairings undecided. Protective!Avengers. Young!Tony(19 years old).
1. prologue

**_AN: New story that i've been writing in my spare time. please don't expect constant updates, as my fanfiction muses are prone to flights of fancy, as readers of my fic _****_Run Away_****_ (please don't kill me, run away fans, i know its been forever since i updated) probably already know, and even when i do write, i'm not always prompt at getting it typed up. Feel free to pester me about it as much as you want though, until I tell you otherwise, as it may serve as motivation for my muses._**

**_If anyone wants to use my ideas, here is the basic idea. if you want to use it, please send me the name of the fic, and_****_ no plagiarism please._**

_Summary: __ Tony was rendered mute in Afghanistan when his vocal cords are cut out. By the time Tony can get to a hospital, 2-and-a-half months later, its to late to do anything. So he tells no one. Several years later, the Avengers are captured, and Tony's translator is broken/confiscated._

_Requirements:__ *Only Pepper/Rhodey know. _

_*Tony is young(Afghan happened in teens)(19 in this fic) _

_*Tony knows multiple forms of sign language, and ridiculous amounts of spoken languages_

_*The Avengers are all really protective over tony._

**Prologue**

**Tony**

"If a sound comes out of your mouth that isn't a 'Yes', I'll cut out your vocal cords." The man threatened in heavily accented English, trailing a knife down my collarbone. I bit back a whimper at the pain.

I liked my voice, thank you very much, and i know enough about medicine to say it would be much to late to save my ability to speak by the time I would next see a hospital, if i ever do again.

My breath hitched as the blade the man held was trailed down my side, tracing my ribs and hurting like hell. I had gotten distracted and hadn't been prepared for the pain.

The man laughed at my flinch. "Oh, Did that hurt?" he plunged the blade deeper into my chest, forcing me to bite back a scream, desperately hoping he missed everything vital. Smirking, the man twisted the blade. This time I was unable to hold in my cry.


	2. 1 The discovery

_**Without waiting, here is the first chapter, as a lot of people enjoyed the prologue. (really? It was so short.) And i'm very sorry, but i screwed with the timeline. In this, tony is 19, and Afghanistan he went to college happened when tony was 15. For the sake of the story, lets say he went to MIT at 8. (not implausible, i saw a news story on a 8-year-old starting college for his degree in astrophysics. Its why most of my avengers stories happen with tony young. I thought, if tony is supposed to be the smartest person in the world, why was he going to college at 14, and not younger? Boom, inspiration for quite a few unposted Avengers stories. R&R**_

**Chapter 1: The discovery**

**3rd person**

"Is everyone ok?" Steve glanced around the room worriedly, twisting in the chains that secured him to the wall.

"I'm fine." Natasha said calmly, "Though they took all my weapons and lock picks. Even the wire in my hair."

"I'm ok, Though Bruce is still out, and I think Tony is in shock, though hes been awake longer than any of us." Clint glanced worriedly at the thin 19-year-old. "Thor's out too. Thinks hes drugged. Something strong too, I didn't know it was possible to knock him out for this long with drugs."

Both Steve and Natasha glanced at Thor, before looking at a trembling Tony.

Tony was secured with loose chains in a corner. He had his knees drawn up to his chest. He was pale, and breathing too fast to be healthy, almost hyperventilating. His suit was gone, leaving him in only a thin bodysuit.

"Are you ok Tony?" Steve asked softly. As tough as Tony was, he was still young. All of the Avengers were rather protective over him, even though Tony hated being babied in any way.

Tony glanced up. He tried to say something, but no sound came out. Tony flinched hard, hiding his face behind his knees.

"Tony?" Steve asked uncertainly, scared now.

Tony looked up, and put his hands to his throat with a bitter, resigned smile.

"Stark?" Natasha frowned. "Nod yes or no. Are you hurt?"

Tony shook his head.

" past injury then?"

Tony nodded, looking at the wall.

"How long? Weeks? Months? Years?"

Tony nodded at years.

"Years?" Natasha Repeated, waiting for the nod. When she got it she sat back on her heels with a sigh. She knew Tony was excellent with masks, but to hide an injury for years?

Shaking her head, she looked back at tony. "Ok then. How many?"

Tony held up four fingers, trying to look anywhere but the faces of his conscious friends.

" four years?"

Tony nodded.

"Four years. Damn It!" Natasha swore. Looking at Tony, she asked softly, "How bad? How did you hide it?"

Tony lowered his hands of the floor, tracing a word. I-M

"I'm?

Tony nodded. M-U-T-E

"Mute...you're mute..."

Tony smiled bitterly, nodding his assent.

Steve, Clint, and Natasha all gazed horror-struck at Tony.

Natasha closed her eyes. "Afghanistan?"

The look on Tony's face said it all.

"I've heard you talk...we all have?" Clint said bleakly.

Tony held up one hand by his head, like a telephone.

"F**k" Natasha cursed. "Do you know sign language

Tony nodded, signing *Yes. I had a translator, but they took it.*


End file.
